Description : This unit seeks to foster comparative research on the Quran and Muslim culture, discourse, and devotional life. We encourage papers and panels that examine the Quran and Islamic tradition in the wider context of the history of the Western monotheisms ; explore Islam’s profound historical relationships with Judaism, Christianity, and the biblical heritage ; and promote comparative inquiry and intercommunal dialogue more generally.

Call for papers : The Quran and Islamic Tradition in Comparative Perspective unit of the ISBL welcomes proposals for both individual papers and pre-arranged panels for the International Meeting of SBL in Vienna, Austria, July 6-10, 2014. Suggested topics might include, but are not limited to : parallels to biblical, Jewish, and Christian tradition in the Quran and Islamic literature ; the relationships between Jewish, Christian, and Muslim exegetical traditions ; the various discursive expressions of intercommunal exchange and relations, including both dialogue and polemic ; Islam in European discourse ; and Muslim cultural, religious, social, and political life in the West. The 2014 meeting in Vienna will feature two special panels co-sponsored by European institutions. We welcome submissions pertaining to the themes of these panels for potential inclusion in the programme : Comparative Mystical Traditions in the Medieval Islamic World, co-sponsored with the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI), Rome ; and The Bible in Arabic : Current Trends in Research, co-sponsored with Research Unit Intellectual History of the Islamicate World, Freie Universität Berlin Please contact the Chair of the program unit, Michael Pregill, Dept. of Religious Studies, Elon University (michael.pregill@gmail.com) for more information.